Hyderabad: In a worrying trend, a significant number of agricultural households are moving away from farming. Recent findings from the NABARD All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey-2 (NAFIS) indicate that only 55% of farmers remain engaged in agriculture within rural and semi-urban regions in Telangana.
With an average monthly income of approximately Rs 13,000, many farmers are struggling to make a living through agriculture and increasingly seeking employment in service sectors in smaller towns. The survey reveals that 92% of Telangana’s population resides in rural areas. Nevertheless, experts suggest that the actual number of farming households quitting agriculture exceeds the projected figures, driven by various economic and social factors.
NAFIS-2 forecast that 57% of agricultural households exist in India, with 43% classified as non-agricultural households in rural and semi-urban locales. In Telangana, these figures stand at 55% and 45% respectively.
Expressing concern, M Kodanda Reddy, chairperson of Telangana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission, said younger generations are prioritising education and seeking better employment opportunities. “As the economy evolved, youngsters in traditional agricultural families are opting not to continue in the field. Further, the rising costs of cultivation coupled with non-remunerative prices are contributing to this trend. The Congress govt is committed to addressing these concerns.”
Each agricultural household in Telangana comprises an average of 4.1 members. Further more, 14 states — Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand — report a higher percentage of agricultural households than Telangana exceeding 55%.
“The percentages indicate that a sizeable proportion of households are vulnerable to climatic adversities like droughts or floods which have a severe impact on their livelihoods. In contrast, in states like Goa and Kerala, a significant majority of 82% of households were prominently engaged in non-agricultural activities to earn their livelihoods,” the report said.
Senior agricultural economist Aldas Janaiah, who took over as vice-chancellor of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University recently, said: “While the statistics are accurate, the National Sample Survey used a larger sample size suggesting that the number of agricultural households may be considerably lower than previously estimated. This trend can be attributed to several factors, including lack of innovations and value additions in agricultural practices, as well as an oversupply of agricultural products in the country.”
The report also reveals that agricultural families have an average monthly income of Rs 13,874, with expenditures amounting to Rs 13,093, resulting in modest savings of Rs 781 per month. Additionally, each agricultural family typically manages around two acres of land within the state.